The present invention relates to apparatus employing a robot in the manufacture of a wiring harness.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,859,724 describes harness making apparatus for manufacturing wiring harnesses of the type comprising a plurality of multicontact connectors having terminals therein and wires extending between the connectors and connected to the terminals. The apparatus comprises a harness board, a plurality of wire and connector jigs which are mountable on the board at locations corresponding to the positions of the connectors in the completed harness. Each jig has connector holding means and wire locating means for locating wires adjacent to the terminals in a connector held in the jig. A connecting tool cooperable in turn with each of the jigs is effective to connect the wires in the wire locating means in each jig to the terminals in the connector in the jig.
The above-described apparatus is directed to terminating wires to connectors of the type described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,159,158 and more generally to any connectors having insulation displacing contacts with which wires are aligned in the jigs. The jigs are suitably of the type described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,194,276 and connecting tool suitably of the type described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,845,535.
The above described apparatus makes no provision for lacing the wire through the jigs in alignment with the desired contact terminals. Rather, the wires are laced manually which is not only time-consuming but subject to human error. Accordingly, it would be desirable to automate the lacing procedure.